NASA is set to begin training with a prototype of Blue Origin's crew moon lander

Following the success of its Artemis II crewed mission, NASA is now turning its focus to the next milestones in its plan to put astronauts back on the moon. The space agency has been eyeing a moon landing in 2028, and it's tapped Blue Origin and SpaceX to provide the landers that could support humans on the surface (though neither company has demonstrated a moon landing yet). This week, NASA shared that it now has a full-scale prototype of the crew cabin of Blue Origin's Mark 2 lander so it can begin training.

With the 15-foot-tall prototype at NASA's Johnson Space Center, the space agency and Blue Origin will be able to "conduct a series of human-in-the-loop tests, or tests with human interaction, including mission scenarios, mission control communications, spacesuit checkouts, and preparations for simulated moonwalks," NASA explained. This mock-up only includes the crew cabin, which ...